In its Supreme Court appeal, the board argued the High Court judgment set a “very high threshold” concerning the reasoning requirements for a planning decision maker when a decision involves either an EIA or an AA. If the High Court findings were upheld, that would have serious consequences for how the board and other planning authorities approach making decisions, it argued.

Mr Justice Michael Twomey refused to quash the decision and remit it back to the board. He said that despite the alleged errors ...there was a reasonable basis upon which the board could refuse permission.

The King’s Highway issue has been raised in a legal case that is a shining example of the problems between developers and opponents of wind farms, writes Michael Clifford. Who owns the King’s Highway? The question might appear redundant in this Republic, but it is the latest to be asked in the perennial struggle around wind farms in rural Ireland.

The court said it was setting aside An Bord Pleanala’s decision on grounds including that irrelevant considerations were taken into account by the planning authority when it turned an application by Element Power Ireland Ltd to develop the project.

Pádraic Dolan, of the Meath Wind Information Group, said his organisation was confident that any challenge would be unsuccessful. He told the Irish Daily Mail that the planning board had been unequivocal in its refusal, citing the proximity of the wind farm to a large number of homes, and the landscape’s cultural significance.

A number of local residents have secured High Court orders on consent quashing An Bord Pleanála’s approval of permission for a windfarm in Co Wexford. The residents legal costs will also be paid by the Board under the settlement of their case.

The eight residents, represented by solicitors Noonan Linehan Carroll Coffey, had challenged the board’s decision on grounds including alleged failure to carry out a proper environmental impact assessment of the development prior to taking the decision.

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) is to be asked to decide issues concerning the extent of Coillte's environmental responsibilities in relation to grid connection works for a wind farm in Co Laois.

The Farmers Journal understands that the cases taken by the families claim that the wind farm caused them nuisance as a result of excessive noise. The wind company is Enercon Wind Farm Services Ireland Ltd and it formally admitted liability to the Court.

A number of families in Co Cork who were forced to leave their homes because of noise from a nearby wind farm have won a significant case in the High Court this week. ...A spokesperson for Wind Aware Ireland said: “There now is a possibility for multiple legal actions against wind farms right around the country."

The challenge is against the board’s decision to grant ESB International permission to build an additional seven turbines at a wind farm development located at Boolynagleragh in Co Clare.
Environmentalist Peter Sweetman has begun a High Court challenge against a decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for an extension to an existing wind farm.

“At a time when the UK and many other European countries are turning away from wind and investing in better alternatives that are greener, more secure, cost effective and more employment intensive, we need to do the same.

The public interest in ensuring alternative non-carbon based energy sources are brought to the market cannot give this, or any other wind farm, “a licence to breach the planning laws”, he said. There is a public interest in ensuring those laws are adequately enforced and judicial failures to make mandatory orders may “dilute” effective enforcement.

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a challenge to An Bord Pleanála’s granting of planning permission for a wind farm in Co Tipperary after ruling that the case raises issues of public importance.

In their proceedings, the applicants had sought to quash the board’s granting of a 10-year permission to ESB Wind Development and Coillte to build the wind farm. They claim the permission breaches the EU habitats directive and the EU environment impact assessment directive.

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